


The War of Light and Dark

by bearinapotatosack



Series: The Wars of Light and Dark [1]
Category: Buzzfeed The Try Guys (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/M, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2020-02-28 15:25:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18759157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearinapotatosack/pseuds/bearinapotatosack
Summary: King Eugene is the powerful yet tragic king of the Dark Realm; Ned, Zach and Keith are poor Light Realm people who are running from the law.But will they defeat the queen of the Light Realm? And will they find out about Eugene's tragic past?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t usually write fanfic about real people or ship real people but I’m only really writing this because I had a cool idea in this fantasy universe. I’m totally okay that this will not happen, people have free will!

Insanity. Pure insatiable insanity.  
  
Everyone assumes that just because the Light Realm has sun and rolling hills and effortless beauty that everyone is happy. But would you believe it if you were told that simply not cheering enough at racist comments would cause them to flee?   
  
No?   
  
What if you were told that that scenario was entirely truthful for five unfortunate souls?   
  
Ned's breath was hot, matching with the heat that had crawled up his entire body from his feet. By his side, his wife Ariel, who was carrying a determined atmosphere with her as the Fortis Guards chased them with axes and shields in tow. Surrounding him like a pride of lions were his friends, the only company that had ever been so open about their discomfort with their realm.   
  
Keith was leading, or more accurately, had just so happened to be running the quickest- screaming as he did so. Becky wasn't far behind her husband, she seemed to be radiating a brave aura that Ned so desperately desired. Zach lagged behind, his breath barely coming out as he concentrated on reaching the wall ahead of them.   
  
The wall in question was tall in structure and was built of a dull, dirty stone that had been always shadowing them ever since they’d been born. Over said wall was a completely contrasting world- the Dark Realm.   
  
The Dark Realm was only known by the countless lies and rumours that they were told for their entire existence. Simply by looking at it, you could see the moisture hanging in the air along with the thick vines that the entire kingdom was built on. Ivy crawled over the top of the stone monument before instantly dying into burnt crisps as they got hit with the immense change in climate.   
  
Despite the climate being hotter, the Light Realm was filled with a full range of wildlife- from colourful nature to amazing animals. All the people had evolved to live with the constant sun and light rainfall that came as everyday life in their realm.   
  
The thuds from the guards behind them were getting closer. Zach disappeared from his peripheral vision and Keith’s lead was beginning to be lost to Becky. The crumbled, ancient wall was merely yards away, all they needed to do was climb over it and they’d be free. Ned wasn’t thinking of what they’d do afterwards, if they escaped the Queen’s Fortis Guards, who cared what the King of the Dark Realm would do to them?   
  
“We need to jump!” Ned yelled the best he could between his heavy breaths; the panting was only getting worse, despite him being an active man. “There are a few footholds there made out of crumbled stone, if we grab a few we should be able to throw ourselves over!”   
  
Keith briefly turned himself to stare with a ridiculing look, “Oh yeah, I’ve totally thrown myself over a wall before, Ned!” Zach threw Ned the same condescending look while he carried on trying to get his breath back. “And anyway, that wall is high up and you know I’m afraid of heights!”   
  
Ned sighed as hard as he could under the circumstances, ‘ _Was Keith really going to compromise their chances of survival just because of a phobia?_ ’. As they arrived nearer to their destination, the cracks and faults became more apparent, the footholds he'd previously mentioned actually seemed less safe than he first assumed. With a sigh, he pushed further as he attempted to reach the wall ahead of them.   
  
Ned’s first attempt left him slipping away like the minute rocks that he held in his hand when he fell. His second try got him a little further but he was cut short just below freedom. His third, and final, attempt saw him accompanied by the very friends that he was fleeing with and his clammy hands gave way as he managed to lift himself further up the wall   
  
“Stop! You are all traitors to the crown and need to face your punishment like the brave citizens you were raised as!” The General of the Fortis Guards yelled they were all so close that their spit was flying into the backs of their legs. “If you join the enemy then you'll never have a chance of appealing for life, only death!” She bellowed once more being joined in her mocking laughter by her other comrades.   
  
“When you eventually return, after seeing the harsh reality of the Dark Realm, you're death will be projected across the entire kingdom as a reminder that our way is the only acceptable way of life!” As Ned hoisted himself onto the flat surface, he laughed, trying to boost his confidence enough that his legs didn't give way from the unsettling fear within him. Next to him were his friends, some of which were just managing to pull themselves up to the height of the wall.   
  
The Fortis Guards had used their athletic advantage to decrease the space and swiped their axes at the clothing on their backs, Keith yelped as all of his friends clambered to hoist him up. “You have three seconds to jump down from that wall and surrender yourself.” The General cried from her now lower position. The frustration could be seen clearly all over her face, creases of rage were scratched into her forehead and cheeks as a hot red glow seeped through her face.   
  
With a scrape, the last of the fugitives managed to reach the antique, flat surface of the wall and with a great yell, they collectively threw themselves over the devising monument.   
  
The screams of both anger and defeat could faintly be heard behind them as they plummeted to the thick, never-ending vine below them. From around him, Ned could just about catch Zach’s shock-filled mumbling of “We’re gonna die, we just escaped death and now we're all gonna snap our necks!”, Keith gave a comforting last look at his companions as he clasped Becky’s hand for what they believed was the last time. Ariel shook her husband from his trance with a loving embrace, a few burning tears slipped from his eyes as he came to the realisation that no one, not even the most powerful person, could survive a fall of this height.   
  
As the group of friends saw the rounded, hard surface of the vine approach, a wave of unknown relief washed over the group as they felt themselves being caught in the arms of a group of guards. Ned’s eyes shot open, apparently, he had unconsciously closed them, and instinctively he checked on Ariel and his friends.   
  
“Ariel! Ariel! Are you okay?” A hint of fear began to make its way into his head as he received no response from the love of his life. Eyes darting. Pulse racing. He threw himself out of the fierce hold of the guard and ran around in an attempt to search for his wife. “Ariel, come on, answer me!”   
  
A frail breath tickled his neck as he swiftly turned around to hear the gentle voice of Ariel, “Ned, Ned, it's okay, I’m here,” she seemed to be happy yet the look on her face gave off a different mood. As her husband helped her out of the guard’s arms, the moment Ariel’s feet touched the floor, she crumpled onto the ground like a sheet of paper and clasped her ankle in pure pain. Without thinking, Ned caught her and carefully pulled her up from her state on the floor while endless amounts of concerned thoughts flew through his head.   
  
“What's wrong? Did the guard hurt you cause if he did then I'll kill him, I'll kill him with my bare hands!” Ned’s voice grew louder as anxiety turned to rage, in front of him, Ariel laughed half-heartedly to try and lighten the mood.   
  
“No, the guard didn't hurt me, actually if it wasn't for him then I'd be in a much worse state right now,” Ariel's grip on her husband’s forearms momentarily grew stronger as she transformed some of her weight onto her good ankle. “I just landed on my ankle funny, I think it must be broken,”   
  
This didn’t help to dissipate the churning worry deep in Ned’s stomach but he was somewhat relieved at the thought of not having to kill anyone. To ease the pain, Ned carefully lifted his wife onto his back so she wouldn’t need to walk any further. Now free to look around, he saw his friends all checking up on each other, luckily no one else was injured. He breathed a sigh of relief.   
  
They’d escaped! The first people in recent history to get into the Dark Realm and survive; even if they were hated in their both realms, they knew their achievement amongst their group.   
  
“So, who are you and what are you doing in the Dark Realm?” The group’s miniature reconciliation was abruptly ended as one of the guards spoke up. As Keith opened his mouth to answer, he was cut off by the same guard. “We don’t need the answers, you guys are going to answer to the King,”   
  
The group shared a look of worry, the tone of the guard made the images that they’d been fed of the royalty of the Dark Realm seem true. More questions filled Ned’s mind as the dangerous images of the King flurried around his mind: was he going to kill them? Imprison them?   
  
Before anyone could ask any more questions, their wrists and ankles were clamped into heavy chains, apart from Ariel of course. They were pushed into a line and forced to walk in a military style to an uncertain fate, Ned took one last look at his friends and turned his head to the sky, if he was going to die, at least he was dying with his friends. After a short while, they reached the breathtaking palace that soared above them and almost stopped them in their tracks.   
  
Reaching the dazzling silver sun was a magnificent glass tower, every window dazzled under the daylight and every surface seemed to flow into one another like a minute stream. Below and supporting the tower were two floors of deep, navy-blue buildings with tall walls that were adorned with more elegant windows and intricate sculpting; off to the sides were courtyards lined with rows of neatly managed flowers and greenery. Medium-sized buildings stood alone, interrupting the charming miniature gardens with their strong colours and creeping ivy that acted as a useful cover from any unsuspected weather. Flowing around the effortlessly elegant palace was a peaceful, electric-blue stream that every so often broke its mask to reveal small fish that blended into the water seamlessly.   
  
All Ned heard from his friends was a small ‘Wow’ that he barely heard from being enraptured by the amazing nature that was surrounding him. Despite the walk they’d been travelling on for a few miles, no pain had yet to be felt in his feet or on his back from the distance- maybe because of the views. But, as soon as Ned had been broken from his trance, he was shoved back to looking forwards and forced to turn his head down like the prisoner he now was.   


* * *

  
Crisp, clean air crawled around them. Latching onto the emerging goosebumps on their skin. The pure magnitude of icy ambience echoed off the looming, blue-grey walls.   
  
Tension could be cut with a knife as they anticipated the shadowy king’s response. The podium his concrete throne lay on protruded from the geometric-tiled floor. His only visible appendages were a pair of brown, leather-clad feet and an impatient hand. The space surrounding the dramatic chair appeared empty, as if the throne once had a companion.   
  
The king’s platform faced the grand hall, its floors reflecting the glass roof above as if they were polished thrice a day. Its colours, simple blues and greys, all blended into one to form a hypnotizing ocean. The floors seeped into the walls to create a sense of enclosed comfort- despite the large dazzling sky above.   
  
A servant climbed the concrete steps and placed a pristine cocktail glass into the king’s hand. No wrinkles. No scars. Just smooth rolling plains of matte tanned skin. The purples of his long manicured nails clinked against the glass as he took a long sip.   
  
His black-brown eyes shined maliciously through the blanket of shadows cast upon him. Gradually, he inspected the six of them from his seat above them as he opened his mouth to speak in a voice as smooth as butter.   
  
“I am King Eugene of the Dark Realm, why have you Light Realm peasants been brought to my court?”   
  
The king’s figure rose, radiating an impatient character as he dramatically stretched and adjusted to standing up. A light clink came from the glittering cocktail glass as he placed it down to move around in the shadows. Shaking, Ned heard Keith take a shuddering breath and speak up for the group who were kneeled in the middle of the empty room.   
  
“We’re here because we were sentenced to life in prison for not cheering for the Queen’s racist comments about the people in this realm,” Ned was surprised at how confident he sounded, however, Keith was always the better speaker of the group. “We ran from the Fortis Guards, jumped over the wall and got taken here,”   
  
The king scoffed from his heightened position and replied, “I’m not sure whether you are all unbelievable brave or unbelievable foolish,” He laughed condescendingly as he paced along his platform, still hidden in the shadows he was clinging to. “You must be foolish, how else could you think your chances of survival are higher here?”   
  
“Wha-?” Zach started as he tried to shift in uncomfort from his position further down the line from Ned.   
  
“You willingly lept directly into your darkest nightmares all out of fear of your homeland?” The group looked at each other in confusion, could the rumours about the Dark Realm be true? Or did the king not truly understand the danger that the Light Realm held? “I mean all you’ve been taught despicable things about your surroundings and yet you still trust here better than your place of birth?”   
  
With another laugh, he climbed down the stairs and revealed his identity that he’d hidden for so long from the Light Realm. Covering his skin was a suit made up of a matching lilac blazer and suit trousers, underneath he wore a deep purple waistcoat littered with the pattern of curling primrose flowers, a crisp white shirt and violet tie was flashed as he made his way down the stairs. The smooth brown-leather belt matched his feet and Ned’s eyes were drawn to the king’s face.   
  
Glowing tanned skin covered his face without flaw and the strong jaw made it almost impossible to look away, his steely brown eyes hid all emotions and were clad in complementing makeup to his dazzling outfit- his hair was messed up enough that he looked casual yet effortlessly elegant.   
  
Everyone from the Light Realm was speechless, they’d always been told that anyone who called themselves a ’Dark Realmer’  was grotesque, with misshapen faces and peculiar additions to their faces- horns, holes and more unspeakable things.   
  
”Oh stop it, you’re flattering me, ” The king burst, swatting a hand at them as he continued to pace around the group. ”Now, what to do?”   
  
Eugene halted and closed his eyes in thought, shaking his head as he went through the possibilities, he turned his head to through the glittering glass roof and at the calming grey sky above. For a moment, his exuberant exterior fell as he whispered to the stars that blinked even in the middle of the day.   
  
”What do you think?”   
  
A minute smile crept up onto his face as he seemingly had a conversation with the shining stars above him. Ned looked at his friends slightly confused, ’ _Is the culture really that different here_?’ he thought as he shuffled around, uncomfortable from kneeling on the tiles for so long.

”Fine, take these Light Realmers to a room of their own, if any of them are a couple, allow them to share a room, ” The King wafted a hand towards the guards who began to unlock their shackles and pulled them up from their position kneeling on the endless tiled floor. Ariel collapsed as she put a minute amount of pressure on her ankle, Ned escaped the strong clasp of the guard and ran to support his wife.

The King and Ned met eyes, he knew that he was sending a begging and pleading look but he didn't care- as long as his wife was safe. ”Please, her ankle is broken, if you could please just heal it- please!” Eugene hummed and stroked his jaw, after glancing at the couple up and down, he nodded and signalled towards what the group could only assume was the infirmary. 

Hesitantly, Ned let go of Ariel and let her be carried off to be healed, he rejoined the group and followed the young King as he showed them to their rooms.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Light Realmers get a tour of the Dark Realm and begin an investigation into the King and his past.

Ned sighed, Ariel was always there when he was going through a hard time, she cared for him when they were convicted and was eager to suggest running away from their realm. But now she had been dragged away. Of course he was grateful but it didn’t help that they were separated in a whole new world- he just wanted to see her wonderful face again.

An agressive knocking broke Ned from his trance as he looked towards the impressive, brown wooden doors. 

“Ned!” Zach cried as one of the doors opened to reveal his friends. “Can you believe these rooms?” 

Keith entered the room, dramatically pushing his friends out of the way as he pretended to be regal. Ned agreed with Zach, the rooms they’d been assigned were enormous, ‘ _I could fit my entire house in this room,_ ’ he thought as he took in his surroundings. ‘ _Well, old house,_ ’

The walls were dull royal blue with a glittering bronze vine pattern, framed by two strips of matching wood to the door. In the middle of the room sat a four-poster bed, it had thick wooden posts and was engraved with a leaf pattern. The bedsheets were blue, littered with stars and was covered in a ridiculous amount of royal blue cushions. 

Dotted around the room were lights, but the source was still confusing Ned. Were they fireflies? Miniature stars? Candles? He couldn’t quite make out yet they seemed to light up the room just enough so that he wasn’t sleepy and was reminded that there still was light in such a dark and dismal land.

The rest of the furniture was merely mundane items, dressers, bookcases, chairs, the odd vase of plants looking artificially fresh. ‘ _Probably something to do with magic,_ ’ Ned reassured himself as he re-took his place on the bed and watched as Zach poured himself a drink of water from the large crystal pitcher on one of the dressers.

“This whole thing’s been a whirlwind,” Keith broke from his comedic caricature to collapse in a chair by the window that was overlooking the kingdom they had quite literally dropped into. “Becky’s out wrestling the staff for some essentials, you know, clothes and stuff,” 

The group laughed but soon returned to their silence, the overhanging feeling of dread and the realisation that they were out of their depth suddenly dawned on them. Heavy air filled the room as they sat contemplating their situations.

“What are we going to do?”

Keith and Zach turned their heads towards Ned as he spoke, he could read their responses on their faces before they replied. “I mean, we’ve dropped into this brand new world with no clue what’s going to happen,”

“We’re just gonna have to go with it,” Keith tried to calm his friend just as Becky and Ariel entered the room. Both Keith and Ned stood up and stormed over to their wives.

“Look who I found being escorted to the room!” Becky hugged her husband as she dropped the clothes she’d found onto the dresser. Ned instantly went to support Ariel to bed yet as soon as he tried, she batted him away and made her own way to the bed effortlessly.

After seeing his look of confusion, Ariel explained, “Magic, the magic here is so powerful that within a few minutes my ankle was fully healed!” The group celebrated, in both awe and shock, that Ariel was safe and that maybe, just maybe, this new world wasn’t so bad.

* * *

Zach awoke, alone in a large bed, a minority in a humongous land. And hungry. Incredibly hungry. With a groan, he managed to sit himself up and swing his legs out from under the heavy duvet. 

His room was similar to Ned’s, except instead of royal blues there were deep, calming greens matched with silvers. The layout was the same, dressers, bookcases, a desk and, of course, the glamorous four-poster bed. 

As Zach made his way to the bathroom, he looked out of the window, the sky was exactly the same as the day before. Grey, a silvery moon in the sky accompanying the distant sun and small flashes of blue here and there. How people lived like this was beyond him! 

The bathroom was made of slate, grey tiles that lined the walls and floor. They felt comfortably cool under his feet as he walked to the shower. The light kingdom was both traditional yet embraced newer technologies, most people bathed, but communal showers were common. 

Zach had only had a few in his life but still knew how they worked. He stepped over the small wall leading into the washing area and turned his face towards the nosel. To his surprise, there was no way to turn it on. ‘ _Do I say something?_ ’

“Alakazam!”

Nothing. Not even a drip.

“Agua!”

Again, nothing happened. Zach rolled his eyes and yelled in frustration, throwing his hands up and screaming slightly- all he wanted was a shower!

“Will you just turn on!”

 _Swsssh._ The shower splashed on, the perfect temperature, the perfect water pressure. ‘ _Of course it’s magic,_ ’ he thought as he reached for a bottle labelled ‘Shampoo’. 

Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

Zach met up with his friends on his way to the smaller dining room, two guards were guiding them, although he couldn’t help but feel like they were guarding more than guiding. There was light conversation and a sense of anticipation in the air. They’d all seen how much this Realm relied on magic, and they could only imagine what the food was like.

The walked down one of the grand staircases and followed the corridors into the throne room they’d seen the day prior. ‘ _How big is this castle?_ ’ Zach questioned as they stopped at a set of large, black double doors.

The two guards joined each other either side of the doors and clicked. The doors opened, with no influence from either guard, to reveal a large mahogany table lined with chairs that matched with the deep, comforting walls of the room. 

Like beggars to a feast, the group scrambled to get a seat at the table- as if there were a shortage. There they sat, unsure of what they were waiting for or where the food was. 

After a few minutes of waiting, they were getting impatient. The guards stood there, almost like statues, unresponsive to any input by the Light Realmers. They’d asked all their questions and had begun to tap their cutlery when the large black doors on either side of the length of the room opened. 

Food. Silver plates and platters full of fruits they hadn’t seen before, purple ones, blue ones, white ones. Next came what seemed to be an entire bakery; rolls of bread, sweet pastries, muffins and conserves to go with each. Then there were the meats, bacon and sausages galore accompanied by eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and an uncountable number of other things. The platters were placed perfectly on the table right in front of them, making them hungrier by the minute.

A fanfare came from the corridor. The doors opened dramatically, just like they had for them. Eugene stood elegantly in a sharp silvery-grey suit, accented with a dull blue tie and pocket square. Looking closer, Zach could’ve sworn he was wearing the same navy blue cufflinks as the day before- they didn’t match his outfit then and they didn’t match it now. His face was gloomy and his eyes were lined with small bags, eyes sullen and drawn to the floor. His dramatic flare had disappeared.

As he entered the room, everyone automatically rose and avoided his gaze. He arrived at his wooden chair at the head of the table and weakly shouted “Sit!” before collapsing into his chair and putting some food onto his silver plate. 

Silence ensued once more, only leaving the screeches of cutlery until Keith spoke up. 

“Do we have any blueberries?” 

“No. We don’t have blueberries.”

“Really? I mean, everywhere has blueberries, your climate is perfect for growing blueberries and-“ Keith rambled on.

“We. Don’t. Have. Blueberries.”

“You can’t have pancakes with berries and not have blueberries? They’re amazing and healthy, you have an entire palace that’s filled with magic, I’m sure you can just magic some u-“

The King snapped, exploding into a fit of rage as he got to his feet. “Can you get it into your excessively tiny brain what I am saying or is it that the people of your Realm are so incredibly dim-witted that you cannot understand me! So listen! For the last time.”

“We! Do! Not! Have! Blueberries!” 

He threw down his cutlery and slammed himself into his chair in exhaustion, the group could only stare at him after outburst. Keith looked down awkwardly as he mumbled something about it only being blueberries before they all continued eating. 

* * *

They all finished in silence, after a while, the guards opened up the doors and the group were pushed back into the cold corridors once more. Eugene cleared his throat as he stopped the group once they’d gotten to the doors of the glass-roofed throne room. 

“Today, I will take you on a self-guided tour of the city,” He looked at the floor and moved his feet together formally. “I’d like you to show you a few choice places that I think you’d enjoy,”

“Not to seem ungrateful but, how would you know what we’ll enjoy?” Ned questioned, getting nods of agreement.

Eugene huffed and rubbed his forehead with his hands. “Well, I hope you’ll enjoy them” He clicked impatiently, barely addressing the clear echo that was bouncing around the halls. “This way,”

Looking around, the group followed, with Ned and Ariel at the front, behind Eugene, Keith and Becky in the middle and Zach at the back. Alone. 

~~

Eugene had lead them through most of the castle, telling them how the original throne room was no longer in use and how he had decided to use the main ballroom as the throne room. Zach drifted in and out of concentration, enjoying the knowledge but disliking the effort he needed to have. 

“So, now you’ve seen most of the castle,” He turned around and faced the group. They’d halted at a set of large, floor-to-ceiling glass doors that led out to a remote yet beautiful courtyard. “You’re going to see some of the working areas and the grounds,”

He seemed to be happier, as if he was reliving a kind memory that he had forgotten over the past few years. The doors opened and the group scattered around the small courtyard.

* * *

The courtyard itself was rectangular, formed into two squares using bustles of blue and purple flowers. The squares were paved with grey slabs and had a few benches to overlook the scenery. On either side were two sheds, their doors locked and overgrown pathways could be seen leading towards the entrances. 

As Zach stood just outside the doorway, he saw a clear row of slabs that lined the left shed and the tall walls of the castle. The only thing he could see was another blueish-purple building that had busy people hovering around it.

“I can’t believe how beautiful this realm is,” Ariel breathed, awestruck, the rest of the group nodding in unison. “We’ve been fed lies about how dangerous and ugly this realm is but they were all so wrong!”

“That’s called Brainwashing.” Eugene snapped, trying to sound nice but failing to hide his clear annoyance with the Light Realm. “Now if you could follow me this way, I’ll show you the Infirmary,”

They followed him down the clear path Zach had seen in single file and all glanced at Ariel- she was the only one who had been there before.

“How come I wasn’t taken this way when I went to the Infirmary?”

Eugene turned and looked at Ariel, “This way takes longer to get there, you were in immense pain so I couldn’t have you take the scenic route,”

Ned gave the King a thankful look, ‘ _Ned really loves his wife_ ’ Zach thought as his friend showed his thanks and the group reached the Infirmary.

* * *

The Infirmary was busy, people in indigo and black uniforms were rushing everywhere like ants and clean beds were filled in all their rows. This clearly wasn’t just the Castle Infirmary. 

The Infirmary itself was rectangular and long, with white walls and blue floors the colour of the night sky. It was far different from any infirmary they’d seen before. At the far end, there was a desk, namely made up of white wood that had a few tables behind it and a doorway which seemingly lead to a back room.

“This is the Infirmary, Ariel should know this place since she was here less than a day ago,” Eugene turned and gestured his hands at the Infirmary, the staff all moved around him like clockwork, making it seem like he visited often. “All the staff here are witches, they brew potions, supply roots and other things to heal and help with general health,”

The king moved up the main isle to the main desk where a tall woman with raven, black hair and heavy dark makeup stood- head turned down as she wrote in an old, brown leather book. She was clad in a different uniform, a pure black outfit that consisted of a a knee length dress with clever embroidery around the neckline and extravagant bat like wings as sleeves; on her head sat a pointed hat, with a wrinkled, extending point and a droopy rim that looked aged with time.

“Ah, your highness, you said you’d be visiting today but I didn’t think you meant this early!” The woman exclaimed as she looked up at the group.

Eugene smiled at her, they seemed close, Zach thought as the king introduced her. “This is Safiya Nygaard, the head witch of the castle, if you have any requests to do with magic, you call on her,”

The two chatted for a while, their lives were obviously very busy so they must have little time to talk. Zach looked around, his friends were standing just as awkwardly as he was, obviously feeling as if they were intruding in on their conversation. After a few minutes, a man with slightly slanted brown eyes and tanned skin came through the door behind Safiya. He stepped up to the counter and curiously turned his head at the group of Light Realmers. 

“Oh!” Eugene turned around sharply to introduce the man who was standing quite close to the head witch. “This is Tyler Williams, he’s also a witch here and is also engaged to Safiya,”

The couple smiled as Ned’s face slowly got overtaken by an amazing smile, “You two are gonna get married!” The Light Realmers groaned in exhaustion, sick of the constant talks about marriage from Ned. “That’s amazing!”

Fortunately, Eugene cut Ned off by waving goodbye to his friends and leading them to the next part of the castle.

~~

It had been a few hours and, at least Zach, was feeling quite tired. They’d been on their feet for hours, having had breakfast early in the morning and it was now midday- supposedly.

Eugene was going on about the market they were currently in. It stood on a thick vine that had wooden panels coming off it, acting as more land for stalls, and bridges connecting it to other vines. 

Gradually, Zach listened back into the conversation, Ariel was looking awestruck at the amount authentic stalls there were and Keith was slobbering at the food. 

“For thousands of years mainland Dark Realmers have traded on this vine,” Eugene was twirling around as he gestured towards many different sights. It was all beautiful but Zach couldn’t bring himself to care. All day he’d been walking, his limbs and joints aching, his spirit sinking more and more as he saw how much his friends were adapting to their surroundings. 

But then he saw her. She was standing at a general stall, selling cloth, food and other essentials. Her brown hair and tanned skin seemed to glow in the amber lamplight of the marketplace. As a customer arrived at her stall, she sparked up a smile and conversation, all with an effortless charm. 

Hesitantly and stuttering, Zach announced, “I-I’m gonna go to that stall,” His friends looked at him questioningly, not knowing why he would want to leave the tour of their new home in the middle of one of the most crowded places of all. 

“If you’re leaving, you’ll need money,” Eugene made his way through the Light Realmers to place a handful of coins in his hand. “Silver ones stand for ten orbs, grey ones stand for five orbs, black ones mean one orb.”

Zach nodded as he took in the information, “The shining stones have a meaning too,” Eugene continued. “The purple ones stand for half an orb and the blue ones stand for a quarter of an orb,” Just as Zach began to step away, Eugene told him not to stay for too long and moved back to the front of the group, leading them to a food stall for a snack. 

As he approached the woman’s stall, Zach felt his palms getting clammy and a thin sheen of sweat developed on his forehead. Just like with the previous customer, she shone him a smile and said, “Hello, I’m Maggie, what can I get you?”

‘ _Damn!_ ’ He’d been so preoccupied with this glowing woman that he didn’t know what he was going to say. 

“Hello?” She waved a hand in front of his face. “Can you hear me?”

“Oh, yeah,” Zach laughed awkwardly, trying to relieve the tension. “I’m not really sure what to buy, what would you recommend, foodwise?”

Maggie laughed again, Zach felt overwhelmingly proud of himself for making her happy. “Well, the night peppers are a good snack, I chargrill them myself and season then with vine spices that are freshly ground!”

“You’ve convinced me! I’ll have one!”

She got a large leaf out and placed one of the footlong black peppers onto it, after handing it to Zach, she extended a hand and asked for the money. Zach paid and took a large bite, much to the dismay of Maggie.

“Wait! Don’t bite that much o-“

Pain. Searing pain that could only be brought on by the heat of the spices. Regret poked his mind as he realised he should’ve asked how spicy it was. With eyes watering, the two looked at each other.

“Are you okay? You should have some milk,” Maggie picked up a flask and began to pour some milk into a cup, Zach snatched it up as the spice-induced fire in his mouth grew. 

Cool relief. ‘ _That’s better,_ ’ Zach thought as the fire in his mouth simmered and went out. “Thank you, I will, er, take smaller bites now,”

“Yeah,”

“Oh, I’m Zach by the way,” Zach offered a handshake, which she took, the conversation ran dry as they both looked down.

“I haven’t seen you around before, are you knew to the capital?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” 

They both chuckled as Zach turned around to see his friends next to a nearby rice stall, Eugene was buying a bouquet of lilies from the neighbouring stall. He said goodbye before running up to meet his friends.

The group had seemingly been watching as they were buckled over from laughter, Keith managed to say between boughs of laughter. “That was...the most awkward thing…I’ve ever seen!” This didn’t help with the humour in the air as Zach rolled his eyes and walked up to Eugene to continue the tour.

* * *

As the group headed down the market, they passed through a large, ornate, stone archway. It had thin vines of ivy running all along it and brought along a dramatic change in atmosphere. 

Where the marketplace was loud and bustling with life, this new area was peaceful and full of contemplation. There were a set of stairs ahead of them that lead to a large symmetrical temple. It had a glass dome roof, a few telescopes littered on a platform from what they could see and it was surrounded by hundreds of glass coffins.

“This is the Capital Temple,” Eugene sound visibly more tired, a heavy melancholic ambience replaced the convivial one they had just felt. “Here people worship the stars, meditate, pray and honour their dead loved ones,”

Becky went to speak but was cut off by the King as he continued. “The main religion in the entirety of the Dark Realm is astrology, some people, like the Lands of Ice, Snow and Peaks only really go as far as astrology,” He took a deep breath, this conversation could be seen wearing down his calm mask. “But other lands like the Land of Mist, the Mainland and the Land of…”

Eugene shuddered, he wiped his eyes before carrying on. “The Land of Water, we all believe in both astrology and spiritualism, particularly that the spirits of the dead go to the stars,”

“Really?” Someone questioned.

“Yes, that’s why we have glass coffins, to let their spirits go to the sky.” He turned around and walked them to the iron gate that led to the graveyard and temple. “And before you ask, we use magic to maintain the dead’s bodies as they were when alive.”

The King went through the gate, the group began to follow only to be stopped by him. He closed the gate before saying, “I don’t want you to come any further.” and walking away. 

Shocked, the group moved backwards as they watched the King tred up towards a large glass coffin. The coffin in question had a large memorial in a language they didn’t understand. It was covered in flowers. 

As Eugene arrived, he subconsciously made himself kneel on one knee. He lay the bouquet of flowers onto the cover of the coffin before speaking. Although he seemed to be quite private, he spoke openly, as if people were used to zoning out when he spoke in the graveyard. 

Curious, they listened. “Well, the alliance is almost done, we just have to do some more paperwork and it will be completed.” Eugene shifted and was now crouched on both knees, his voice began to waver. “Things have gotten very interesting over the past two days, some Light Realmers dropped into the kingdom- quite literally.”

“I didn’t want to accept them at first, I was half tempted to send them back to their own realm but I saw them, I saw their eyes and I couldn’t help but think of what you’d do, you were always so much wiser and more guided than I was,”

“I got your favourite flowers and I’m still wearing your navy blue cufflinks, I wonder if they’ve noticed?” Eugene shuffled again, his voice telling the group that he was battling tears “I should probably tell them that Navy Blue is the colour of mourning in the Dark Realm, shouldn’t I?”

Surprisingly, the King let out a troubled sob, it was mangled and heart wrenching, as if he didn’t want to let it out. “We’re going to have the first ball in three years this Friday, the first one since…” He sobbed again, although he didn’t seem to let out any tears. “I'm questioning whether I should go or just send one of my sisters in my place,”

There was silence for a while, eventually, the King stood up and with shaky hands made a star symbol on his forehead, then he said. “Byhoxing-ekadào byhoxing e, hansokōng-ekadào hansokōng e” Something in what Zach could only assume was the same language as on the memorial. Hesitantly, the King then added after much contemplation, “I miss you, so much,”

As the King went to walk away, an uncontrollable weakness flooded through him and threw him to the ground as he forced tears to stay locked up behind his eyes. Eugene let out a sob, a sob that seemed to break Zach’s heart even further. “Aaahh!” The King bellowed as he struggled to get up and return to the others.

Gradually, he stumbled to his feet and swayed his way back to the group. He passed through the gate and stayed silent, not wanting to offer any form of explanation as he lead the group back where they’d come from. 

“What was that about?” Ned whispered, the group formed a clump as they shuffled on, following the mourning king. “Did he lose a parent or something?”

“I think it could be a partner, a husband or wife or something,” Ariel murmured back, she got a few looks back.

Zach spoke up, “To be honest, looking back on his behaviour, I don’t think anyone could love him that way,”

Ariel shot him a harsh look before she replied. “He’s obviously not dealing with it, and Ned, if I died wouldn’t you be snappy?”

“I’d be more than snappy!”

“I know, and I just don’t think his tone was really fitted towards a parent, do you?”

Everyone looked at each other and then the King, whatever had just happened, it had sure got the Light Realmers thinking.

* * *

It had been a few hours. After they’d returned back to the castle, Eugene dismissed them and had disappeared from seemingly the entire castle. They’d explored some of the places they’d enjoyed during the tour and had had a good evening, until they were called for dinner.

“I can’t wait to see what dinner’s like,” Zach cried as they walked to a different dining room, there was  probably a specific dining room for each meal. “I mean, the food was amazing last night but I can’t wait to see the room we’re eating in,” 

“Yeah, after breakfast, this must be amazing!” Becky shared Zach’s enthusiasm as they reached another set of black double doors. 

They entered and were shocked, on the far side of the room was a large glass window, they must be in the area of the castle made almost entirely of glass. The walls were a thick black colour, a chandelier hung from the ceiling and a large rustic table stood in the middle of the room surrounded by black wooden chairs. On the left hand wall was a large golden mirror that reflected the room dazzlingly; in the corners were chairs, paired with amazing bouquets of flowers. 

No one said anything. Everyone was too mesmerised to. They all chose their seats and immediately felt out of their depth. Just like in the morning, the guards stood ceremonially around the room and the King entered the room with an air of drunken solemnity.

He collapsed into the head chair and turned it to the side to lean back casually. Silence filled the air once more but was soon replaced with light conversation of what they thought was going to happen over the next few days. 

“I!” Eugene spoke up with a lively confidence that could only come with being drunk. “Have got to finish an alliance!”

“Who with?” Ned asked, feeling guilty for liking this new charismatic version of him.

“Bīkōel zhīnoui dìkuttang”

“Who?”

“The Lands of Ice!” He threw his hands in the air dramatically. “All countries have names in Maparen!”

“What’s Maparen?” Zach asked.

“It’s the tr-traditional language of the Dark Realm,” Eugene suddenly stood up and ran over to the tray of drinks to pour himself an impossibly large glass of whiskey. “Most people know-w it,” 

The group watched as he chugged the entire glass before pouring himself another and sitting down. Everyone looked at him, all wanting an explanation of the language of Maparen and the lands of the Dark Realm.

Eugene sighed, “Most people speak Maparen and English, some more rur-rural places don’t even speak English,” He clinked his manicured nails against the side of his whiskey glass, as if he wanted the whole dinner to be called off. “I’m guessing you want to know-w about the actual lands of the Dark Realm?”

They nodded and the King sat up in his chair, like this was a meeting with his advisors.

“There are six lands of the Dark Realm, the Dark Realm is a general term for all of them, not all of the lands are allies but, if needs be, we will unite to fight the Light Realm.” The King explained. “There is the Mainland, a mismatch of climates and geography, it’s also called Hēiyadum zhinoui dìkuttang or the Land of Darkness,”

“Then there is Bīkōel zhīnoui dìkuttang, the Land of Ice which is directly east  from the Mainland, their heir was the top suitor I could’ve picked to marry, but I didn’t so now we’re forming an alliance,” The group soaked up the information like sponges as the careful King spoke. He readied himself for the next land, almost as if he had history with something or someone from there. “Shumimul zhinoui dìkuttang, or the Lands of Water, are north-east from here and are a collection of small islands that mainly rely on fishing as an income. We have an alliance now because of… of,”

The King seemed to be using all his concentration to filter the information, ‘ _Was he trying to hide something?_ ’ Zach questioned as he waited.

“Because of me, we are now, erm, allies,” With this the King took a break to have a long sip of his whiskey, he then continued with a new, refreshed way of thinking. “North-west of here is Bókiriega wùkkin zhinoui dìkuttang, the Lands of Mist, where my Mother is from and also and ally. They have a lot of ponds and lakes there, they’re also one of the few lands who are deeply religious,”

He spluttered as he took a final swig of his drink, from what they’d observed, he was almost trying to forget something or even reset his brain into forgetting what happened that day. 

“Finally, there are Xueyunun-i zhinoui dìkuttang and Shānyambong zhinoui dìkuttang, the Land of Snow and the Land of Peaks- they’re directly west from us. They were once one country but, after a civil war, the Land of Snow allied with us and it wasn’t until the early start of my reign when we allied with the Land of Peaks. That’s where one of my sisters is,” 

As if by magic, as soon as the King finished his explanation, the starters arrived. ‘ _Starters? For a normal dinner?_ ’ Zach was surprised at how formal the dinner was but brushed it off as he took the first delicious bite. 

* * *

They had finished dinner, after the King’s explosion of energy, he had calmed down and was silent once more- drinking heavily just like before. Ned walked along the corridors, led by a set of guards and the King to the drawing room.

“Usually just the men would go for coffee in the drawing room, but fuck the rules right?” The King had clearly let go, from what they had heard, the man hadn’t swore at all over the past two days- the guards broke their seriousness to look slightly shocked. They reached a smaller, yet still as grand, door and entered, scattering themselves around the room on chairs. 

Everyone sipped the coffee they were eventually served and listened to the sound of breathing while they all begged for some conversation or ease. Ned had began to tap against his mug as he brought up the courage to ask more questions to the emotionally compromised king. 

Nevertheless, he wanted answers and so he decided to build up to his final question. “So, do all the islands have royalty or is it just the Mainland?” 

The King, who had been pouring whiskey into all three of his coffees, rolled his head from the wall where he’d been staring and looked lazily at Ned. “There used to be, but now everyone has a Grand Duke and Duchess who rule,” 

 _Slurp_. The King coughed and continued. “If they’re an ally, all new laws have to go through the monarch, everyone else just respects the monarch as the leader of the Dark Realm and is done with it,” He turned his head away again and everyone in the room suddenly understood where Ned was going with his questions. 

“You mentioned something about religion, earlier,” Keith began, trying to make a subtle segway to the question they were forming in their mind. “Are you a devout believer or is it just your people?”

The King exploded out a laugh, “Wow, warn me next time before you interrogate me,” He was stood up now, sipping his coffee and pacing- while staggering minutely. “Erm, I am a devout believer in Spiritualism and Astrology,”

The King turned away from everyone, he swirled his drink in his hand impatiently as he aimlessly started out of the window. “Both levels of belief have helped me through some tough times,” He took a few deep breaths. “Our religious day is on Thursday, we go to the local temple at night, before most people sleep, to worship- I’ll take you,”

After five minutes, Zach took the courage to ask the question on everyone’s lips. “Sorry we’re asking so many questions, we’re just curious,” The King sent him a gentle smirk, Eugene’s eyes unconsciously easing him into asking a dangerous question. “The temple,”

“What about it? Do you want to know how old it is? How worshiping works?”

“The Graveyard,” Zach gulped ‘ _Here we go,_ ’, his hands were sweaty and countless possible reactions played in his mind. But, determined. He asked the question regardless.  “Who were talking to? Who are you mourning?”

 _Smash_. They all knew it was a risky question. A one in a million chance of getting an answer. Deep down they didn’t expect to get an answer, they’d witnessed how closed off the King seemed to be. 

Blood was running down the King’s hand, drip drip dripping onto the shards of the coffee mug on the floor. He took a deep, shuddering breath. The air turned sour.

“I did not ask for an interrogation.” No one could reach his eyes, everyone’s collective gaze was at the shards on the floor. “You have no right to ask me that.”

“Yes we do,” Ned mumbled.

“What did you say?”

“I said, that we do have a right to ask these questions!”

“Maybe you do!” The King had dropped his dark brooding to flare up into a whirlwind of defensive screaming. “But I thought that you were all intelligent enough to read a person!”

“We just want to know what’s bothering you!” Ariel threw herself into the argument. “I guess we’re _sorry_ for caring about the wellbeing of the man who’s giving us a new life!”

“Haven’t you thought that maybe I want to keep you guys in the dark about this?” Everyone stopped and stared at him, taking in what he had just said. “I still can’t trust you, I have no idea what information you could be spreading to the Light Realm!”

“You think we’re spies?!” Ariel spat, taken aback by the accusation.

“Well, it’s not hard to believe by how easily you’ve ‘adjusted’!” 

Ned’s head snapped towards the King. “Don’t you dare speak to my wife that way!” He rose to him, pushing him to try and agrivate, to try and get the closed off man to do something. 

“All I’m saying is that we’ve barely known each other for fourty-eight hours, I think my suspicions are justified,” The King’s voice was poisonous, he threw Ned onto the sofa and stormed to the doorway, closely followed by his guards- who now seemed lacklustre as they didn’t step in when he challenged the man.

Eugene turned to face the group, one hand on the door, he sighed and stated one thing. “I have my right to privacy.” He left dramatically with no more comments or huffs, taking all but three of his guards with him.

The group peered at each other, all still running the last few minutes in their head. Keith broke the heavy silence.

“Well, that went well,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a long chapter! I loved writing this, there’s some upcoming stuff I cannot wait for you to read! 
> 
> Maparen is a combination of Mandarin, Japanese and Korean!
> 
> The marketplace kinda looks like this but on street wide, blue-green vines (sorry it’ll have to be a link):  
> https://pin.it/omkgy6fpszd6wo
> 
> The dinner dining room looks like this:  
> https://pin.it/ckizperke5gyvi 
> 
> And the drawing room looks this this:  
> https://pin.it/qhq6nng3wsluir  
> But lighter!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group reconcile with the King and have an interesting encounter with the Royal Tailors.

The morning was grey, yet again, Ariel opened her eyes, huffed and got out of bed. Ned was still asleep, his beautiful face looking peaceful, the Sun knows they all need it. ‘ _Should I say the Stars know, now?_ ’ She questioned as her toes squirmed at the change of temperature from the wood to the elegant tiles. ‘ _They certainly do like Astrology here,_ ’ 

With a hum, she showered, after taking a few moments to remember how to turn the shower on, and got ready for the day- kissing her husband on the forehead as he awoke from his slumber. Ned crawled around sluggishly as he got ready but was eventually ready to tackle the day. “Right, let’s see how the King’s feeling today, huh?” Ariel encouraged. 

“Yeah, after sleeping on it, I feel kinda bad, I mean he was right, we shouldn’t have been asking so many questions,” Ned replied, following the guards that were outside their room to the breakfast room- meeting up with their friends as they walked. Ariel nodded, taking her husband’s hand in her’s as they reached another breakfast room. 

The guards stood either side of the door and clicked, letting the group walk in and goggle at the beauty of the room. The walls were panelled wood, painted black, and a large delicate fireplace was the centerpiece of the room. It was smaller than the other rooms they’d seen so far, there were paintings of old monarchs covering the walls along with hanging baskets of plants. A round wooden table stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by large backed chairs with arms.

They took their chairs, feeling an odd sense of cool-warmth as they listened to the flicker of the fire. The King entered, solemn and sharply dressed, although he seemed to be more formal than usual. Tension was thick and no one met anyone’s eye. 

“I’m sorry for how I reacted yesterday, I was too harsh and you were just curious, no one can blame you for that, but next time warn me. I’ll tell you all I can and want to, if this is going to be your home, you deserve to know things about it,” Eugene spoke carefully, almost as though he’d been practicing for a while. “But I have my limits so let me prepare before you bombard me with questions,”

Ariel answered, “We’re sorry too, we expected answers that we weren’t entitled to, if we go too far with our questions, tell us,” The King looked shocked and didn’t respond for a few seconds, then shook his head and nodded in thanks. 

Keith added onto the apology, “The least we can do for you is not push your boundaries,”. Eugene smiled at the group, breakfast arrived and, with a new understanding of each other, tucked into their short feast.

* * *

Breakfast was finished, Eugene was sipping on a cup of tea and the atmosphere was calm- for the first time in a while. Zach was still getting used to the feeling of being full all hours of the day. Back in the Light Realm, he had to work hard to get some food on the table, with their country priding itself on the intense work ethic it held. 

The steady silence was interrupted, along with Zach’s train of thought, as the King listed off the itinerary for the day. “Today, Grand Duchess Nanouk Uukkarnit of Bīkōel zhīnoui dìkuttang, or the Land of Ice in English, will be arriving to finalise the alliance between our two countries,” His face contrasted his voice, which was seemingly confident and casual yet his expression appeared to be full of dread. “That will occupy most of my day, so you will all be with the finest tailors Dàlhonto has to offer!”

The group were instantly excited and spoke over each other with questions, eventually getting to the point where the King had to silence them and let them speak one at a time. 

“What’s Dàlhonto?” Ned asked, sitting on the edge of his seat with the elation that he was known for. 

“It’s another name for Hēiyadum zhinoui dìkuttang, the Mainland, the country you’re all in now, next?”

“Oh and what outfits can we get?” Ned continued.

“Anything formal that’s suitable for a ball, so suits, dresses, maybe even robes,” The King had a sparkle in his eye that made him look younger, something that Zach picked up on and only made him picture what his Majesty enjoyed doing before he became King. “And yes, Keith, I do mean that you men can wear dresses and you women can wear suits, I can see you’re about to ask that,” He took a long slurp of his tea and stood up, anxiously straightening his suit out as he guided the group towards the door. 

“And Zach, you have a plus one,” Eugene stated. “So, you can bring the girl from the marketplace if she accepts,” 

And with that he opened the doors with a click and began the winding journey towards the main entrance to the castle that they had only seen once- when they had arrived in shackles.

* * *

The Grand Duchess stood proudly, backed up by two large guards who towered over all of them in thick brown animal skin coats, making her seem even smaller than she already was. Her full figure was hugged by a shimmering lilac dress, accentuated by sparks of silver that contrasted her shawl- made of the same material as her guard’s coats.

Her soft eyes were made sharp and flirtatious with dramatic eyeliner; with a low chuckle, she extended a glove-covered hand for a kiss and winked at the king. They could see why she was an obvious choice for a wife.

“My King, how have you been?” Her voice was thick with an accent, over pronouncing her vowels as she walked forwards, her shoes clicking on the sharp, grey wooden floor. “It’s been a while since I’ve last seen you, especially since we’re making an alliance,”

Eugene gritted his teeth as he replied, “It has,” 

“And who are these?” Nanouk, the Grand Duchess, flourished her hands towards the Light Realmers, stepping forwards again to circle them. “Don’t tell me these are the Light Realmers the entire realm has heard about?”

The King coughed and prepared for a long explanation. “Yes, these are the Light Realmers.” He scrunched up his face and thought hard for a moment, then carried on. “But I would like you to convey a message directly to your country’s people,” The Grand Duchess raised an eyebrow, as if to say “ _Carry on,_ ”.

“These Light Realmers are not a threat and should be treated as our own people, not as enemies. If anything, we should welcome them more, they’re enemies of the Light Realm and can help us to understand our adversaries,” Eugene declared.

The King and Grand Duchess met, after pacing around the group, in line with the long, dramatic stairs, the centrepiece of the room. They were carpeted with an intricate indigo, violet and emerald carpet and had engraved wooden baluster.

“Do I get their names or are we going straight to the final negotiations?” Nanouk asked, a constant smirk in her voice.

“Of course you can have their names!” The King said with a slight mocking tone in his voice.

He pointed to Ned and Ariel first, then Keith and Becky, then, finally, Zach- letting them wave and introduce themselves as he went along. After having done this, he linked arms with the Grand Duchess and led her up the stairs to finalise their alliance with the Elders. 

The Elders were a group of elected politicians, one from each country who met monthly, or on important occasions- meeting every six months with the Grand Dukes and Duchesses of the other countries too.

As the Eugene, Nanouk and their multitude of guards disappeared from view, the group turned to each other and arranged to meet outside their rooms in two hours to go to the tailors.

* * *

His hands were shaking, breaths getting shorter as he walked away from the castle and towards the market. There was a quiet buzz of the city all around him, with birds chirping around him and the water of the luminescent moat trickling.

Zach stepped down the large marble steps, away from the main, lilac wooden door and down the thick main vine the palace was built on. Citizens of the Capital, called Shouhibon, were walking around the entrance to the palace. 

The palace entrance was surrounded by a small courtyard, filled with benches and plenty of guards. Many people passed through here due to it being the essential crossroads between towns and villages, neighbourhoods and the marketplace. Carts were pushed. Animals were pulled. And footsteps echoed across the crowds of vines above and below them.

Zach followed the hoards travelling to the market with a hesitant heart as he drummed through his thoughts in his mind. ‘ _Am I really going to do this?_ ’ He questioned as the vine split into three smaller ones- on which the different areas of the market grew. 

‘ _I’ve spoken to her once, this is crazy!_ ’ But before he knew it, his feet were carrying him towards Maggie, the market stall vendor. 

Her hair was shining, along with her eyes, as the lanterns swung about in a slight breeze. Just like before, an overwhelming mix of scents and sights hit him. Her stove was sizzling softly and there was a small line in front of her stall- which he gladly joined.

After a while of waiting for the line to go down, it was his turn, finally. She looked up and both of their faces lit up, ‘ _Have I really had that much of an effect on her?_ ’

“You again?” Maggie’s tone was playful and happy, her smile was a little wider and Zach relaxed. “Is my food that good?”

He chuckled, “Of course but I’m here for a different reason, and I’m going to come right out and say it,” The anxiety was back, he picked at his trousers as he brought up the courage to ask her.

“There’s a ball, at the Palace, where I’m staying-“

She cut him off, the smile falling and her eyebrows raising, “Wait? Are you one of those Light Realmers?” 

‘ _Shit!_ ’ Was that it? The end of whatever this was or could become? Sure the King had been welcoming but the people of the Realm? He couldn’t expect them to be fully accepting of an enemy.

“Yeah, I am, but we’re not a threat!” Zach threw his hands out to show his innocence, scared of what Maggie would do. “We’re kind of refugees, and the King is having a ball because of some politics, so I thought maybe I could bring you?”

Her face went blank, hopefully processing his request and not a punishment. After a while, she smirked, then laughed and doubled over as she did so. Zach’s stomach churned. He closed his eyes and prepared for the worst.

“Erm, it’s a bit out of the blue,” He shuddered, feeling disappointment deep in his soul as he got ready to nod and walk away. “But I’ve never been to a ball before, and it would be fun, so, I’ll take you up on your offer,”

“It’s alright I understa- wait what?” He couldn’t believe it? She accepted! “You’re going with me?”

“You’re surprised? I thought you wanted me to?” 

“I do, it’s just, I’m in shock,” They laughed, relaxing once Zach had taken in the information that Maggie had, in fact, agreed to go with him to the ball. “Also, there are tailors making outfits in the palace, I’m having one made and you can too, if you want,”

This time it was her face that went shocked, she stepped back and her eyes sparkled in excitement. Zach sighed, he could get used to making her look that excited. 

“Sure,” Her voice was quiet with anticipation, she stood there for a few seconds before asking the person on the stall next to her to cover for her. “Let’s go then,” And with that she hopped over her stall and followed Zach up to the castle.

* * *

The six of them stood in a large mauve room, there were sofas around the edges of the room, along with side tables with vases filled with flowers on top and various bronze ornaments There landscape paintings adorning the walls and a surprising amount of lights scattered all over the ceiling. Oddly, there were six platforms with an equal space between them all. 

They walked in further, confused as to where the tailors were when, as if by magic, six neatly dressed and pretentious tailors all strolled into the room. Silence filled the room as the tailors stood opposite their clients and analysed every inch of their being.

One spoke, his voice nasally as if his nose was being held by an invisible force, “Despite the King giving you supplement clothing of the highest possible quality,” He said, closing his eyes and looking pained as he pulled at his inset wrinkles. “You still look atrocious,”

The tailors nodded and walked towards their corresponding clients, pulling each of them to their own platform. Tape measures flew about on their own, taking wingspan measurements, leg measurements and many others that none of them knew the purpose of.

While the tape measures zipped to and fro, the leader of the tailors spoke up again, “I am Kunzang, from the Land of Snow, the head tailor of the King and most fashionable of the entire Dark Realm!” He then said behind his hand. “Don’t tell his Majesty,”

Astonished and confused as materials were paraded in front of them, they finally got to the main point of the session. Kunzang was looking at many sketches that looked like they were from leaflets or books of dresses and suits- probably appropriate for a royal ball. 

“So, you!” Kunzang snapped. Ariel noticed that he was pointing at her and straightened up. “What dress do you want?”

She hesitated and her face looked puzzled, it wasn’t like any of them had been to a ball before. However, when the tailor started to tap his foot, raising his eyebrows and rolling his eyes, Ariel made her decision. “Maybe more of a puffy ball gown? Like straight out kind of style?”

He moved towards the smaller tailor, that was apparently working with Ariel, to confer in what could only be Maparen. In hushed voices, the two waved around their arms as they made up designs for a dress that would suit her. The group all shared glances at the obnoxious pair, ‘ _How could they use so many hand motions while talking?_ ’ Zach thought as the tailors finally came to a close on their conference.

“So, Lavender?” The smaller tailor asked, awakening Ariel from a trance as the attention shifted back to the client. All she got was an amused nod- the whole situation was starting to seem like it would be a bit overwhelming for them all.

As soon as Ariel’s dress had been decided, the other tailors gathered like birds around their patrons. Tape measures kept twirling. Questions were fired from all sides. And effortless magic began to form a shimmering outline of what everyone’s outfits would look like.

Kunzang stood back after a while and gave approving glances to his employees. “Yes, these will make you all spectacular!” He said, finally satisfied with how the ragtag group looked, and snapped his fingers one last time.

All magic outfits drifted into thin air as if they were smoke and every instrument dropped limply to the ground. The room was still again, clinically and unsettlingly still- just like they’d always known. Kunzang and his crew then waved goodbye to the projects they’d gotten closer to over the past few hours, leaving all of them alone with the guards. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, still enjoyed writing it though, next chapters are going to get interesting though


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group travel to a spa to prepare for the ball.

The morning was clear yet again, smooth and cruel, but clear. Keith sat on a chair near the window, book in hand, said book was of simple children's stories. Some were kinder with hope throughout while others were dark and warned you of everything that can go wrong. ' _ Pretty daunting, _ ' He thought as he stood up.

Becky entered from the bathroom, smiling naturally as she took his hand and let themselves follow the guards to wherever they were eating that morning. It had only been a few days since they'd moved into the castle but the routine of eating and relaxation was something they were slowly getting used to. Although the lack of work  _ was  _ starting to get to him.

Soon, they found themselves joined by the others in the main entrance hall, there was sleep in everyone's eyes as they shared the common feeling of wonder at being awakened at such an earlier hour. The guards surrounding them formed two lines, Zach's guard taking up the rear, and began to manoeuvre the group up the stairs systematically; they didn't stop at the landing and carried on towards the back of the castle. Their spears tapped the floor in unison and reflected back the light from the greyish sun and the soft moon that hadn't disappeared from the rolling sky. 

Quiet, everything was impossibly more still as they crept up the stairs and across abandoned corridors. Keith glanced to his right and found himself stopping to take in the view from the large windows. From what he'd seen of the castle, which was a lot, all over were intricate gardens that went on as far as the eye could see. The view confirmed his observation.

Dark looming vines bled into the neat, lush gardens, bordered by thick slate walls, held together by petite flowers climbing up the walls. A pristine path of matching grey slate lead all around the bursts of colour that were the squares of flowers and minute bushes. As he peered closer, small, abnormal birds with long, black talons and equally long beaks flitted from flower to flower; somewhat grotesque insects joined the birds, butterflies with rich royal blue wings and bees, that were purple instead of yellow, went through the motions of their work. 

_ Shove.  _ The rough hand of a guard threw him towards a set of double doors, engraved with similar birds to the ones he saw outside. 

_ Creek _ . There sitting at the table, was the King and the Grand Duchess, the former looking immensely bored as Nanouk passionately articulated something in Maparen. As they sat down, she shut her mouth with a click as if any of them could understand her.

"Nanouk, as much as I love hearing the many businesses of your court, even I, the King, can't take it this early in the morning," He wheezed, shifting backwards in his chair as that morning's breakfast was presented. 

The room was quieter than usual, still and peaceful. Silver cutlery squeaked against the plates, that were full of crumbs and bits of leftover food. Gradually, the servants cleared the table, leaving only the candelabra and luminous vases of cold coloured flowers. 

On the far side, the large pristine windows were opened, letting the silk curtains gently cascade in the early morning breeze. The King cleared his throat, shuffled around and explained the itinerary of their day. 

"So, today we will be going to the spa to get prepared for the ball tomorrow, later on we will be going to the temple," He finished the short and concise sentence just as Keith blinked a few times, horribly attempting to stop his mind drifting off to hazy images of a glorious building, covered in bronze and stone. "To fully appreciate the process we are starting early, eating there and arriving back with enough time to get ready for the temple."

Muffled hums flew across the room as the King arose, nodding towards the guards and flying out to the corridor. Keith noted how brief his appearances had been over the past two days, yesterday they'd only seen him at mealtimes and today he was seeming more withdrawn. His mind wandered to whatever could be bothering him, coincidentally, the scene at the graveyard replayed over and over. 

Becky pulled him along, a concerned look etched onto her face as they returned to their room to prepare for the day. He couldn't help it. As funny as he loved being, he was still compassionate. Also, Eugene had taken them in, after all. Even if he had his moments of coldness, Keith couldn't help but want the best for the man he'd known only momentarily.

* * *

The air had a spite to it, biting and nipping his skin as he walked out of the back of the castle. Tall columns marked the edge of the smooth slabs of stone making up the stairs, the dull grey colour blending beautifully into the pastel blue brick. A small courtyard lined with stones lead into a large stable, composed of stone matching the columns and full of the echoed sounds of horse hooves and grooms. 

Directly in front was a medium-sized carriage, rich black and glossy. The coachman sat upright as if he was frozen in place, his uniform was clean, royal blue and silver. What was catching everyone, bar the two present Dark Realmers, were the horses. 

The horses would've been almost impossible to recognise if Keith hadn't have known that horses led carriages. One of the more prevalent points was how they had six legs; the normal two at the front and two at the back, but with an extra two on each side of their bodies. Next were the feet, which had a significant lack of hooves, instead three soft toes splayed out on the cobblestones.

Keith circled the carriage, running a hand on the articulated wood, painted like a figurine for a doll's house. Thundering breaths pulsed through the air, forcing air to vibrate. The horses seemed to radiate furious speed and power, their eyes glowing and shining hazily onto the pathway. 

The King emerged with the Grand Duchess, his face drawn tight as he led himself to the doors of the carriage. One guard opened it, cutting lines through the air and hurriedly pushing the two leaders into it, followed by the Light Realmers.

Breaking the ice, Keith spoke, making Eugene peak his head up from his shadowy stare at the glossy,  wooden panelling of the floor, "Those horses are weird." 

"Really?" Nanouk said, raising a manicured eyebrow, "What do your horses look like?"

"Well, first of all, they have four legs and hooves- not toes," 

The present Dark Realmers stopped to look at Keith, as if he'd told them terrible news. Some emotion slipped into Eugene's eyes as a smile broke out across his face. A miniature chuckle lit up the still atmosphere, a shockwave of hope in the most peculiar way. 

Out of the window, the blending blue-green of nature flurried past, he concentrated on the flashes of movement against the background. ' _ Birds probably, _ '. Ned and Ariel were doing the same, pointing out whatever they could find. 

Keith sighed, relieved to be having a break, he squeezed Becky's knee, who was practically bouncing in her chair in anticipation, and closed his eyes. Today was going to be a good day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter one this time, I can't keep writing long chapters if I want to update everything I write regularly. So here we go!

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is greatly appreciated, your comments and kudos give me life!


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